Ray's Renewed

In the beginning, there was Chef Wayne Ludvigsen, Chef Charles Ramseyer, Chef Peter Birk. That was the first 40 years. Now a second Chef Wayne (Johnson)* ushers in the beginning of the next 40.

For five years, General Manager Mo Shaw* and Ray's owners have been thinking about change. "Ray's has always been unique; it has an amazing view. Even so, you have to reinvest and stay relevant. Times have changed, Ballard has changed. We have the opportunity to hit a home run by changing," says Mo. "We brought in Ken Grant of MotivatedBranding to help, and have a rebranding document we're living and breathing by. Our goal is to be world class, and we need locals to identify us that way. We're rebranding in a way we hope will keep our loyal customers happy and bring in a new demographic as well."

"The Boathouse change is a change within a change," says Chef Wayne Johnson. Before I even came on, Ken and I talked about how people see Ray's as a whole. It was hard to differentiate the pieces: the Boathouse, the Café, catering, and offsite catering. So the larger plan was to redirect the whole mentality of who we are. We wanted a true separation between the entities. You say ‘I'll meet you at Ray's Boathouse,' or ‘I'll see you at Ray's Café,' so everyone knows you're upstairs or downstairs. People want a place to hang out; the Boathouse didn't have that, so people came for special occasions."

"We've taken advantage of the view," says Mo. "Where else can you sit at a bar and face the water? That's part of the rebranding—keeping our connection to the water. We've always been a waterfront seafood house and still are. The layout allows for a gathering place in the center; it creates a lot of energy. Tables are at each end, and the north end can be used for private dining."

Food-wise, Chef Wayne has created distinct differences between the Boathouse, Café and catering. He explains: "The Boathouse is fine dining and the Café is casual. Food has to reflect that. Both use high quality products, but we need to take fewer steps to execute in the Café. You can't touch the food more than a few times when you're doing 300 covers. We may have salmon in both places, but you won't find our crispy skin salmon in the Café. We do it over low heat and it takes too many minutes to do that for the Café. Boathouse desserts have 5-8 delicate touches before they go out. Café desserts have 2-3. Poké can be done for the Boathouse, but not for catering. If you have to serve 90 at once, you have to do things in advance. If poke sits too long, it cooks the fish and the outside gets tough. Bottom line, we bring in the freshest product, but use the inventory differently. That's the challenge and the fun. We get to be Iron Chef with it."

Smoked salmon from Boathouse small plate menu

Beverage-wise, they've created specialty cocktails to accompany classics. "Our wine list changed awhile ago and over several years," explains Mo. "We've looked for wines that are value oriented, finding wines others can't offer. We've also moved a little from our Northwest focus; we have a good balance now." Wayne adds, "Wines need to go with food. The only specific pairing we do is on the tasting menu."

Staffing is an area Wayne is enthused about. They work with culinary colleges and offer externships. "People come in with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. I tell students and staff if they want to be really good, they have to go beyond 8 hours. They need to read and watch TV. The Michael Jordans of the world are tireless about their sport and that's how cooks have to be if they're going to be in the top percentage. With our change, we looked at every vendor, and every job, and what we needed people to bring to the table. Everyone in the kitchen is trained in every area. If pantry is slammed, broiler steps in. No other food is going out until the salads are out, so everyone needs to make it happen. We have to flow to the action. Knowing all stations makes each person more valuable. At the end of the night, you should walk out and feel energized. That's when you know culinary is right."

Wayne still loves food, cooking, tasting. He's been doing it since high school in 1976. At one point, he worked himself out of cooking and behind a big desk, but realized he wasn't having fun. "Now at Ray's, I'm getting even deeper into flavors and region, deep into touching food. In the 365 days I've been here, Ray's has seen more change than in the past decade." Mo is the consistency in all the change: she has been at Ray's for 15 years, coming from a 15-year stint with RUI (Restaurants Unlimited). "It took them 12 interviews to decide to hire me, but I stuck, and it's been a fun ride." One thing they're both proud of is what they give back to the community in terms of jobs. "Yes, it's a business, but the better we do, the more jobs we sustain," says Wayne.

Ray's sound-stopping glass wall with handwritten specials

Versatility in seating, food, and team has been created at The Boathouse. But there's more to come. "We can't afford to do everything in the plan at once," explains Mo. "Our current artwork is on loan from SAM and we're working on what we want to say with the art. We're replacing old logos and have a new website. We hope to have an outdoor deck permitted downstairs. And we're going to refresh the Café later this year."

They've reopened as if they're a new restaurant with a different philosophy, looking to be the mega-cool place for the next decade (or the next 40 years). What hasn't changed is the pride they take in caring of each guest.

* Wayne Johnson left Ray's to open Shuga Jazz Bistro, and Mo Shaw left to open a consulting firm

Connie Adams/March 2013